Buckle



Dec. 3, 1935. HALF|N 2,022,647

BUCKLE Filed May 18, 1934 INVENTOR fiazzy laZ, Jig

@ ATTOR D NEY Patented Dec. 3, 1935 PATENT OFFICE BUCKLE Harry Chalfin, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May 18, 1934, Serial No. 726,232

2 Claims.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in buckles; and. the invention has reference, more particularly, to buckles of the kind utilized in the trimming and ornamentation of dresses and other articles of wearing apparel.

This invention has for its principal object to provide a novel construction of metallic buckle body comprising complementary front and back shells which, when assembled together, form an apertured frame having a cross bar within the aperture thereof, and wherein cooperative elements making up the cross bar are respectively formed as integral parts of the respective shells,

being at the same time individually shaped so that one element strongly reenforces the other when the same are mutually engaged, whereby a rigid cross bar structure is obtained which is well adapted to resist bending or other deforming stresses, While nevertheless providing a neat and sturdy appearance.

This invention has for a further object to provide, in a buckle structure of the kind mentioned, mutually cooperative cross bar forming elements carried by and integral with the respective buckle body shells, said elements being automatically engaged in cooperative relation by the mere assembling of the shells together, so that a rigid cross bar is formed without necessity for employing separate or additional reenforcing bars, cores or wires; and to this end one shell of the buckle body is provided with a cross bar element of substantially semi-circular cross-sectional shape having its hollow side facing inward, while the other shell of the buckle body is provided with a cross bar element of tubular cross-sectional shape, whereby, when the shells are assembled together, the tubular element is entered within the hollow side of the semi-circular element and in contact therewith along its longitudinal axis, thus strongly bracing the same against bending or other deformation.

The invention has for other objects to provide a buckle body of the kind described which may optionally be covered or faced with textile or other flexible material adapted to harmonize with the material of the article of apparel with which the buckle is desired to be used, the marginal portions of such facing being clamped between the shells when the latter are assembled; and to provide a buckle body upon the cross bar of which may optionally be pivotally mounted a'buckle tongue, in which case the cross bar elements may be provided with a transversely constricted bearing portion around which the eye or loop of such tongue is engaged,

'ripheral flange l3.

Other objects of this invenion, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front face View of a buckle body according to this invention; and Fig. 2 is a rear face View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on line 4--4 in Fig. 1, drawn on an enlarged scale, but showing the complementary shells making up the buckle body opposed one to the other ready for assembly; Fig. 4: is a similar View with the shells operatively assembled together; and Fig. 5 is a sectional View, taken on line 5'5 in Fig. 1, drawn on an enlarged scale, and showing the shells operatively assembled to form the buckle body. Fig.

6 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 4, but showing the buckle body as provided with a facing of textile or other flexible material, and

showing a buckle tongue pivotally engaged on the cross bar.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan of a blank from which the front shell and its cross bar element is formed; and Fig. 8 is a similar fragmentary plan of a blank from which the back shell and its cross bar element is formed.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing, the front shell of the buckle body is preferably formed by a stamping of sheet metal, or is otherwise formed from other material, to comprise a front face wall It] having an interior aperture I I. The peripheral shape of both said face Wall and the interior aperture thereof may be of any desired form or design. Extending from the exterior margins of said face wall in is a rearwardly projecting peripheral flange I2; and, likewise, extending from the interior margins of said face wall in, which bound said aperture H, is a rearwardly projecting pe- A portion of the blank If! from which said front shell is formed is shown in Fig. 7, wherein the aperture H is shown surrounded by marginal portions l3' from which are struck the bounding peripheral flange l3 of the finished front shell. Integrally connected by neck portions M of reduced width, which join its respective ends to blank i8 respectively at opposed sides of the aperture H, is a blank portion l5 which lies across said aperture II. This blank portion I5 is provided with free longitudinal marginal portions l5". When the blank 10' is formed by suitable tools or dies into the finished front shell of the buckle body, said marginal portions are inwardly curled or bowed transversely of the blank portion l5, thereby producing a front cross bar element l5 of substantially semi-circular cross sectional shape to provide an inwardly facing hollow side or open channel it extending through-cut the length of the cross bar element IS.

The back shell of the buckle body is likewise preferably formed by a stamping of sheet metal, or is otherwise formed from other material, to comprise a rear face wall ll having an interior aperture l I. rear face wall I? and the aperture ll correspond in form and design to like parts of the front shell. Extending from the exterior margins of said rear face wall H is a forwardly projecting peripheral flange l8; and, likewise, extending fromthe interior margins of said'rear face wall ll, which bound its aperture H, is a forwardly projecting peripheral flange H9. The dimensions of the back shell as compared withthe front shell are such that the forwardly projecting peripheral flanges l8l9 ofthe former will telescope withinthe rearwardly projecting peripheral flanges l2--l 3 of the latter, when the shells are assembled together in buckle bocly' forming relation. A portion of the blank ll from which said back shell is formed is shown in Fig. 8, wherein the aperture I I is shown surrounded by marginal portions l9 from which are struck the bounding peripheral flange IQ of the finished back shell. Integrally connected by neck portions 20 of reduced width, which join its respective ends to the blank I 1 respectively at opposed sides of the aperture l l, is a blank portion M which lies across said aperture II. This blank 2| is provided with free longitudinal marginal portions 2|". When the blank I1 is formed by suitable dies or tools into the finished back shell of the buckle body, said marginal portions 2|" are inwardly curled until their free longitudinal margins abut, thus pro-- ducing a back cross bar element 2| of tubular form and of a transverse diameter less than that of the front cross bar element of the front shell.

The front and back shells having been produced and formed as above described, the same are ready to be assembled in buckle body forming relation. This is done by merely opposing the inner or flanged sides of the shells one to the other in the manner indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and thereupon pressing the same together so that the flanges l3l 9 of the back shell telescope into the flanges l2--l3 of the front shell. The assembled shells maybe secured together against accidental separation, by inwardly crimping over the free edge portions of the flanges i2-l3 about the'margins of said back shell, as will be obvious from an inspection of Figs. 4 and '5 of the drawing. When the back shell is thus brought into operative assembled relation to the front shell, the tubular cross bar element 2| of the former will be entered within the channel l6 of the open hollow cross bar element l5 of the latter, and will contact said cross bar element 15 all along its longitudinal axis, so that the strong and bend resistant tubular element 2| will strongly and firmly brace the hollow element I5, whereby together these parts provide a very strongand rigid composite cross bar structure integral with the buckle body, and well adapted to resist bending stresses or accidental undesired deformation. At the same time, the greater width of the cross-bar element 15 as exposed to view at The peripheral shape of both said the front of the buckle body provides a sturdy ap pearance, and one of better proportional balance than is provided by flat bars or wires, such as have frequently been heretofore provided in buckles of this class.

The buckle bodies are sometimes used without pivotal tongues; but, on the other hand, it is often desirable to provide a buckle tongue. In the latter case, the cross bar structure according to this invention iswell adapted to support such tongue, and in such event it is desirable to provide the cross bar structure with a restricted bearing portion 22 to receive the eye 23 of such a buckle tongue 24, as shown in Fig. 6. This restricted bearing portion 22 is formed by pinching in the opposite lateral sides of the cross-bar element l5 against the sides of the tubular cross bar element 21, thus not only compacting the structure to better journal the eye 23 of the tongue 24, but also forming shoulders 25 which tend to maintainthe tongue against shifting displacement from desired location on the cross bar.

It is frequently desired to face the buckle body with a material harmonious with the appearance of the material of the Wearing apparel with which the buckle is to be used. This may be done with the buckle body structure of the instant invention in the customary manner, viz. by applying the selected facing material or fabric F over the face of the front shell, and then engaging the margins f of such material or fabric around the flanges l2-l3 of said front shell before assembling the back shell therewith, whereupon when the flanges 18-49 of the back shell are telescoped into the front shell flanges l2-l3, said facing material F will be drawn tautly over the face of the front shell and then secured by the clamping of its margins ,f between the flanges of the assembled shells, all as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawing.

From the above description it will be apparent that the instant invention provides a very simple buckleframe or apertured body having an integral cross bar structure within the aperture thereof which is of good appearance, and of exceedingly strong and rigid character, while at the same time being so made and assembled as to eliminate all necessity for extra separable parts, as well as eliminating the requirement of any extra or special tools for securing, reenforcingor other finishing operations with respect to said cross bar structure per se, after the shells have been covered and assembled.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

1. A buckle body comprising an apertured front shell having exterior and interior rearwardly projecting peripheral flanges, a correspondingly apertured back shell having exterior and interior forwardly projecting peripheral flangesto telescopically engage the flanges of said front, shell when said shells are operatively assembled together, said front shell having integral therewith to lie within and across the aperture thereof a hollow cross bar element of substantially semicircular cross sectional shape with its open side inward, and said back shell having integral therewith to' correspondingly lie within and across the aperture thereof a tubular cross bar element formed by inwardly bent longitudinal marginal portions having their free edges meeting in abutting relation along the inner side thereof to form a closed seam, said tubular cross bar element being of less diameter than the width of said semi-circular cross bar element and adapted to enter the open side of thelatter to engage its seamed side in centrally disposed longitudinal bracing contact therewith when said shells are assembled together.

2. A buckle body comprising a pair of complementary apertured shells adapted to be interengaged together in parallel relation, a cross bar element, neck-portions integrally joining the respective ends of said cross bar element to one shell respectively at opposite sides of the aperture of the latter, the longitudinal marginal portions ofsaid cross bar element being turned transversely inward to give the latter an inwardly open substantially semi-circular cross-sectional shape, a second cross bar element, neck portions integrally within the open side of said first cross bar ele- 10 ment to engage its seamed side in axial bracing contact with and along the length thereof when said shells are assembled together.

' HARRY CHALFIN. 

